Inaugurated recently in Jordan, the establishment is not just an academic initiative but a project that combines education, interreligious dialogue, and the development of spiritual heritage. The goal is to make Al-Maghtas a centre for study and reflection on early Christianity, where history, theology, and culture intertwine. This vision looks to 2030, when the two-thousandth anniversary of Jesus’s baptism will be celebrated at the site.
Pope Leo XIV has authorised the decree on the miracle. Speaking to AsiaNews, Sister Marie-Antoinette Saadé, superior of the Congregation of the Maronite Sisters of the Holy Family, describes him as the architect of “the historic vocation of Greater Lebanon”.The beatification will be a “providential and prophetic sign” of a “pluralistic, free” country. Bishop of Batroun: “God’s grace at a time when Lebanon’s identity and integrity are under threat”.
The axis between Israel (and the US), the United Arab Emirates, and India is being countered by a bloc that includes Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. Turkey is refocusing on the idea of an alliance of Muslim countries to minimise “dependence on outside the region.” At home, the row over the leadership of the main opposition party has reopened wounds that had never healed.
In Lebanon, the first assembly of the “khouriyètes”, the affectionate term for the wives of married priests. A “virtuous revolution” for the Maronite Church, promoted by the bishops of Antelias and Batroun and supported by the patriarch. A message of encouragement from Cardinal Mario Grech: “Be faithful to your vocation”.
The new primate, who will take office on 29 May in Baghdad, outlines to AsiaNews the priorities of his mission at the helm of one of the oldest Churches in the East. The years spent among the diaspora communities in Australia and the tragedy of ISIS during his time as bishop in Mosul are the two cornerstones of his episcopate. His relationship with the Muslim world and his commitment to stemming the exodus, ensuring a future for Christians in the Middle East.
The charges against Bahar Saharaian reportedly include ‘propaganda activities’ against the Islamic Republic and ‘spreading false news’. In 2022, she had already been imprisoned for joining her colleagues’ protest against the crackdown on demonstrations following the death of Mahsa Amini. Hotel closed for failing to comply with hijab rules and record number of executions in 2025.
